honor graduates

[indolence]

Does being an honor graduate give you any type of advancement in the navy?

I know in the Marine Corps the top guide gets a stripe, any way to earn an extra stripe while in Great Lakes?

[jtsweeney]

I was an honor graduate on June 15th, and I didn't get anything. I wasn't first in my class I barely missed that, and from what I've heard only the valedictorian gets an advancement, but I can't tell you that for sure. Honor grads are the students with above 90 averages, it was me and 2 other people and i know I didn't get advanced. But by the time you get outta school only a little while longer until you get ranked up anyway. You'll probably even get it before you get out of fmss. I went to boot in Jan. and people I graduated with aren't even starting until sometime in october. Hope this long answer helps


HA Sweeney

[indolence]

Thanks. I know I wouldn't be able to actually get the stripe since I'm contract E3 going in, I was just hoping it would give me some points towards promotion.

[jtsweeney]

No it doesn't give you any points but you will be eligible to take the 3rd class exam the next time it occurs right after A school.

[puckmedic]

Depends on how long he or she is an HN

[puckmedic]

That happens to start counting as soon as you get paid for it! Then I believe it's a year from HN to HM3 eligible (am I right?)

HM1 (RET)

[8404]

You're right Puck.

Good luck on the mission.

[indolence]

You're right Puck.

Good luck on the mission.
So I will have to spend a year in grade before I am eligible for promotion?

[8404]

Indolence:

There is nothing stopping you I think from studying for the advancement exams right now.

[AVTDOC96]

That's a very good point 8404. You can always start studying ahead of time for the next exam. Better to be prepared than not.

[docbreare]

Some quick words of advice from a Retired Navy Chief....."Each and every day, you need to ask yourself 3 questions....What am I doing for myself? What am I doing for my command? What am I doing for the Navy?".....Now, there are other VERY important parts of your life that aren't included in those questions, such as your family, your church, etc...and that is for you to keep in your list of priorities.....the advice I'm sending above with regards to asking yourself those 3 questions daily is to keep you on track of your career as far as evaluations, advancement, professional development, etc....and if you need me to explain further let me know.

[indolence]

I know I may seem dumb, but I'm still a little hazy on this. Will I have to spend a year time in grade before I'm elligible for promotion?

[8404]

Indolence:

You have to have 9 months time in pay grade E3 before you are eligible for the E4 exam.

[indolence]

Thankyou 8404. Regarding that, will my TIG start once I get out of boot and include the time I'm in A school?

[8404]

I believe your TIG starts at bootcamp graduation. The same time you put on your stripes. In bootcamp you are E1 a seaman recruit.

It's rare, but not impossible to make E4 on your first exam.

[Corpsman77]

TIG starts in bootcamp. Whatever rank you are at the beginning of bootcamp. Case in point. I was an E-2 in boot and being paid as an E-2. As of July 1st, I am an E-3, pay effective July 16.

My paperwork (and online training jackets) shows my E-2 rank on October 1, 2006.

So, grad boot 11/22, grad Corps school 3/23, grad Dental 4/27 and bam .. here I am, an E-3, Hospitalman.

In boot, regardless of rank, everyone is a recruit. It's just the way it is.

E1 - E3 TIG goes like this: 9/9/6

E1 - E2: 9 months
E2 - E3: 9 months
E3 - E4: 6 months (or, you have the opportunity to take the exam at 6 months)

[Lil Miss Kenya]

What's TIG?

[8404]

TIG = Time in Grade or rank.

Corpsman77, thanks for setting me straight on that. I was close but not quite a the cigar.

[Corpsman77]

Anytime. It's not too often I have information to provide.

[Lil Miss Kenya]

Thanks for that.

[8404]

Lil Miss Kenya:

If you have a BS degree, why don't you go in the Navy as an officer? Much better pay and living conditions for sure.

[indolence]

Excellent, so I will be eligible to take the test very early on into my navy career. Good to know.

[old navy]

Lil Miss Kenya:

If you have a BS degree, why don't you go in the Navy as an officer? Much better pay and living conditions for sure.

Not to intrude or answer for Miss Kenya, but not all degree holders can become officers. The available slots are based on GPA and other qualifications. With I taught Corps School in the middle 80s, we had many students with Bachelors and a few with Masters degrees. They wanted to earn the title of Navy Corpsman. Some get out after the first hitch, some put in for an officer program, and some retire as CPO.

[Lil Miss Kenya]

Lil Miss Kenya:

If you have a BS degree, why don't you go in the Navy as an officer? Much better pay and living conditions for sure.

That's a great question. Many people ask that. I had a very good GPA when I graduated college. It's just that I did want to continue in the medical field, and going in as an officer, they would just put me in charge of something random like supply. It's not about money for me right now.

Sure the money is nice, but I got another plan in mind; education. There are 2 programs that I will be applying for to go to nursing school and be an officer asap. I hope that answers your question.

[indolence]

Couldn't you get the navy to pay for med school or nursing school?

I know when I was planning on finishing college they were going to pay for my med school in return for a multi year payback.

[mestup3117]

The STA-21 Program just came out with an option to become doctor. They'll pay up to $10,000 of tuition and fees, while you'd still be getting paid as if you were active duty, including allowances (BAH, BAS, etc). As indolence mentioned, the Navy has other programs and options to help you achieve your goals in the medical field and being motivated to find them is half the battle. Hope that helps.

[navyrecruit1984]

I can relate. I'm only one semester away from graduating with a bachelor's, so I could go back and possibly get a commission, but the enlisted path is more appealing to me. My GPA (2.83) doesn't allow me to be very competitive for med schools or most grad programs I'm somewhat interested in, and the jobs I could get by finishing my degree aren't as cool as being in the navy, so I'm enlisting. Also, if I go back to school, I have to take Organic Chemistry II again in order to graduate...which sucks. The extra money, privileges, etc. one gets as an officer aren't as important to me as having the job I want-HM. Plus, I get my loans paid off. I'll finish my degree while I'm in the navy, so I'm not totally dropping out or anything. If I decide I want to be career military, and I don't want to be an HM anymore, I might try to get a commission later on. That is all.

[Da-Chief]

Mestup..
Do you know how much Med School costs?? Close to over 100K..

10K is a drop in the bucket. And to owe time after?

Not such a good deal when your living on E-3 pay and having to pay for Med School etc.. 90K after the 10K the Navy gives...

Medical School is one "EXPENSIVE" process.

Darrell "Da-Chief" Crone

[old navy]

I can relate. I'm only one semester away from graduating with a bachelor's, so I could go back and possibly get a commission, but the enlisted path is more appealing to me. My GPA (2.83) doesn't allow me to be very competitive for med schools or most grad programs I'm somewhat interested in, and the jobs I could get by finishing my degree aren't as cool as being in the navy, so I'm enlisting. Also, if I go back to school, I have to take Organic Chemistry II again in order to graduate...which sucks. The extra money, privileges, etc. one gets as an officer aren't as important to me as having the job I want-HM. Plus, I get my loans paid off. I'll finish my degree while I'm in the navy, so I'm not totally dropping out or anything. If I decide I want to be career military, and I don't want to be an HM anymore, I might try to get a commission later on. That is all.

That's what I'm talkin' about! If you spend 4,5,6 or 26 years as a Corpsman like I did, you carry that title for life. The history, the tradition, the mystique. That's what attracts many folks to the rating. Regardless of degree, pedigree or socio-economic status, having Navy Corpsman on your resume is a door opener and a deal maker.

[indolence]

That's what I'm talkin' about! If you spend 4,5,6 or 26 years as a Corpsman like I did, you carry that title for life. The history, the tradition, the mystique. That's what attracts many folks to the rating. Regardless of degree, pedigree or socio-economic status, having Navy Corpsman on your resume is a door opener and a deal maker.

I'm hoping that mystique helps me get into a good med school after my 5 years :)

[old navy]

No mystery on med school admission requirements. High GPA and brains running out your pores. Good luck.

[indolence]

No mystery on med school admission requirements. High GPA and brains running out your pores. Good luck.

Not entirely true. Several of my fraternity brothers dads are big name doctors in the areas they are from. They said that volunteer work in hospitals, being well rounded, and having recommendations are just as important as GPA and MCAT. Hopefully being a Corpsman will take care of the "volunteer work" aspect and let me seem well rounded. I'm sure it might make getting recommendations a little easier as well.

Now all I gotta do is raise my GPA a bit and my imaginative plan is sure to work! :p

[old navy]

I apologize. I'm not sure where I came up with the idea that you need a high GPA and intelligence to be admitted to medical school.

[8404]

lol at old navy.

Indolence, a gpa of 2.83 will definitely have to be raised in order to get into a medical school to become a doctor.

Both your GPA and MCAT scores have to be high to get accepted. Volunteering is gravy points. I don't believe volunteering with a gpa of 2.83 will get you into med school! But hey, please go with your 'frat bros' dad's advice.

Volunteering is work without pay, outside of your job, like working in a civilian hospital or retirement home. You being a Corpsman will not satisfy that requirement.

I'm sticking to what old navy said.

[Lil Miss Kenya]

I think the brains has to cut it too.

In response to indolence...I've done my research as far as nursing schools and the programs, and my final decision was to go enlisted first. Thanks though.

[indolence]

lol at old navy.

Indolence, a gpa of 2.83 will definitely have to be raised in order to get into a medical school to become a doctor.

Both your GPA and MCAT scores have to be high to get accepted. Volunteering is gravy points. I don't believe volunteering with a gpa of 2.83 will get you into med school! But hey, please go with your 'frat bros' dad's advice.

Volunteering is work without pay, outside of your job, like working in a civilian hospital or retirement home. You being a Corpsman will not satisfy that requirement.

I'm sticking to what old navy said.
Oh I know, but a 2.83 with 60 hours isnt hard to raise. Also it depends on the med school, ethnicity, and all that. Volunteering is done to see if you are capable of handling the medical field, which being a corpsman should satisfy. As long as my MCAT scores are good I should be alright. My friends dad is the head of a hospital in San Francisco and he pretty much told me what I need to do to get in, and thinks the Navy can do nothing but help. Also his son just got into med school with a 3.1 and a good MCAT score, it really does depend a lot on where you want to go. I appreciate the criticism, seeing as how you are trying to help, but I'm not as ignorant on this subject as I am on the nature and requirements on being a corpsman. I've wanted to be a doctor for a long long time, I'm getting a degree in the 2nd highest accepted major into med school, and I have a plethora of recommendations lined up. My GPA is my own fault, as my username suggests, I sometimes slack off, but that should be remedied soon, since I once again have motivation.

[old navy]

If I say good luck again it will sound cynical, which I don't won't to do. So therefore, I will say, I wish you the best.

[indolence]

If I say good luck again it will sound cynical, which I don't won't to do. So therefore, I will say, I wish you the best.
I appreciate it. But as of right now I want to become a sailor first then a corpsman, doctor will have to wait!

[8404]

Best of luck to you Indolence, with the right amount of dedication, you will definitely make it as a Corpsman and a medical doctor.

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

Does being an honor graduate give you any type of advancement in the navy?

The terminology may have changed, but as far as I know being the “Honor Graduate” and graduating with honors is not the same thing.

Graduating with Honors goes to all students who graduate with a certain score or better, typically 90% or higher.

Graduating with Honors & Distinction goes to all students who graduate with a certain score or better, typically 95% or higher.

The Honor Grad award typically goes to a single sailor graduating at the top of the class. It is sometimes possible for an E1 or E2 Honor Grad to be promoted one paygrade. However, an E3 Honor Grad may not be promoted.

Way back in the dark ages when I graduated NSHS San Diego, several students with the highest class scores were already E3, and each E3 top grad deferred the Honor Grad award in order to have it presented to the top E2 and that E2 promoted to E3. I do not think Great Lakes has the same policy though.

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

I know I wouldn't be able to actually get the stripe since I'm contract E3 going in, I was just hoping it would give me some points towards promotion.

When I graduated RTC San Diego a "few" years ago, I was awarded Company Honorman. This got me "points" with both my military & academic advisors when I arrived at NSHS San Diego for A-school (a "few" years ago too) and helped me get selected as class leader. This in-turn helped me stay on the CO's Honor Roll every week I was there and graduate with Honors & Distinction. Graduating with H&D and over a dozen weeks on the honor roll, plus the class leader duties, got me a better student eval. The performance marks on my student eval were used to calculate my FMS when I took my Advancement Exam.

EARLY PROMOTE = 4.00
MUST PROMOTE = 3.80
PROMOTABLE = 3.60
PROGRESSING = 3.40
SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS = 2.00

If your Final Multiple Score (FMS) is not high enough to be selected for advancement, then you earn Passed-but-Not-Advanced (PNA) points that will be added to your FMS for your next examination. PNA points are determined using Performance Mark Average (PMA) and examination Standard Score (SS)
. PMA / SS
Top 25% = 1.5 / 1.5 points
Next 25% = 1.0 / 1.0 points
Next 25% = 0.5 / 0.5 points
Last 25% = 0.0 / 0.0 points

You get "points" for looking sharp and presenting yourself professionally when you report to your new command.
You get "points" when your new chain of command reviews your record and sees your performance.

That good eval helps you get extra "points" towards your FMS when you take your Advancement Exam.
(PMA x 60) - 156 = max 84 points towards FMS ( = 36% of available score)
That good eval helps you get extra PNA "points" towards your next 5 exams
2 x PNA (from last five exam cycles) = max 30 points towards FMS ( = 13% of available score)


So "yes" it certainly can give you "points" towards your next promotion....

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

TIG starts in bootcamp.
In boot, regardless of rank, everyone is a recruit. It's just the way it is.

E1 - E3 TIG goes like this: 9/9/6

E1 - E2: 9 months
E2 - E3: 9 months
E3 - E4: 6 months (or, you have the opportunity to take the exam at 6 months)

Time In Rate (TIR) is not the same as Time In Grade (TIG). The numbers you quote are for TIR, not TIG.

Read BUPERSINST 1430.16 for clarification (particularly paragraphs 202 and 216c-216g)

You are correct that regardless of paygrade, everyone is a recruit: E1, E2, & E3 are all treated the same, but they are still paid according to their paygrade.

[Da-Chief]

Everyone is right...

You do have to have the extra stuff I confirmed this with some Medical Prof's.. who teach Med School. They All now say you had better have something else other then Test Scores and I high MCAT.

They want to make sure you have the makeup to make it. They have found that you have to be a personable person in Medicine now, not bookworms who have a high burn out rate and tend to turn to the Science aspect of medicine as they don't know how to deal with PT's.

Just what I am being told after doing some research.

Now I can tell you that they "WILL Take High test scores.. I know it and you know it" as there a lot of people putting in for Med School and they do take the cream of the crop, but you had better have some extra stuff in your basket as well..

More and more Doc's who select today were Vets in teh past.. It is a good thing.. But "DON"T" be a part of the Reserves.. That will be a "NON-STARTER" as they don't give a hoot if your mobilized.

V/R
HMC

[HMC-FMF-PJ]

This needs to be confirmed, but I believe your assigned NOSC (Reserve Center) will place med students in a *do not mobilize* type of status category while attending med school.

Individual reserve units also typically do a good job granting a 6mo leave of absence or allowing individuals to temp drop to IRR in order to attend full time training for misc things like police, fire, or paramedic academies...

Of course, one favor deserves another and the command/Navy will expect you to repay the 'favor' you would owe them...

[8404]

HSPS sounds like one heck of a program. Navy even pays past student loans, wow.

[jtsweeney]

I work in a NOSC and we put you on hold and you can not be mobilized while in school. It is a special exception for medical students.

[AndiRRT]

Don't get me wrong...When i am active, I fully expect and will go a step further to say will be prepared for deployment. I am not so naiive as to believe that after spending $200K on my education, the Navy will not get good use out of me. It is just that medical school is gonna be difficult enough as it is, that I don't want to worry about being shipped out in the middle somewhere and never getting to finish. The recruiter told me on Friday that she even had one med student make them put it in his contract that they were not going to deploy him until he had finished, and if that is an option, I am going to ask for it in my contract as well.




I work in a NOSC and we put you on hold and you can not be mobilized while in school. It is a special exception for medical students.